David Moyes may make a Rod for own back

EVER since he sashayed on to centre stage almost four years ago to the day for the closing minutes of a UEFA Cup tie against AZ Alkmaar, Jack Rodwell has found himself billed as Everton’s salvation in waiting.

David Moyes pictured on the touchline relaying instructions to Jack Rodwell []

Yet, while once it was his impact on the pitch that was supposed to thrust his side to a new level, now Rodwell’s true legacy could be felt by the club rather than just the team.

David Moyes maintained, on the eve of tonight’s crucial game with Swansea, that Everton do not need to sell midfielder Rodwell, who tops Chelsea’s wanted list, next month merely to appease the banks.

Behind the scenes, however, a parting of the ways could yet be considered a concession to financial prudence, making a dent in the debt while also granting manager Moyes rare leeway to refresh a squad that has stagnated over the first half of the season.

Andre Villas-Boas’s interest in acquiring England international Rodwell in the January transfer window may not therefore present Everton with a dilemma but a solution.

“I still make the football decisions,” said Moyes. “But obviously there’s a bit more business involved in it now, where there’s other financial things that we always need to keep our eye on, so not all of the decisions can be solely down to just what’s happening on the football field.

My job has been not to sell the best players. When I came in I said we might not have much to spend but we don’t want to get rid of our better players - I don’t think that’s right.

David Moyes

“I don’t think we would do it because of the circumstances as we got the money we needed in the summer and I don’t think we’d be selling because we need the money for the bank or anything like that just now. But we’ve not had a bid and not heard anything from Chelsea.”

That sounded almost bullish, though a glance at the list of incoming transfers at Goodison Park recently would suggest common sense might prevail.

Should Chelsea’s interest in acquiring Rodwell crystallise in the transfer window and the bidding reach the £20million threshold that Everton would demand – their sums based upon Jordan Henderson’s move from Sunderland to Liverpool for a similar fee last summer – then there is surely no debate.

Such a fee would grant Moyes room to manoeuvre in the market, with his midfield options relatively strong regardless of Rodwell’s future involvement when compared to the club’s attacking ranks.

Rodwell, 20, has made 66 starts, and 105 appearances in total, since his debut on a freezing night in Holland in 2007. But it is his performances for England against Spain and Sweden last month that stick in the memory and not simply because he has played just 27 minutes for Everton since due to rib and hamstring problems.

He will be missing once again tonight, when Everton seek a win that will lift them towards the safety of mid-table.

The downside of any departure would be to reinforce the perception that Everton have become a selling club. Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta have left in 2011, with the exits of Yakubu, James Vaughan, Jermaine Beckford and Joseph Yobo on loan and the sale of the old training ground Bellefield bringing in £30m this year.

“There have been some really big players sold – Ronaldo at Manchester United, Torres went to Chelsea – so if those players are available for sale I think most other clubs would have to be thinking about their players,” said Moyes.

“My job has been not to sell the best players. When I came in I said we might not have much to spend but we don’t want to get rid of our better players - I don’t think that’s right.

“We’ve tried not to be [a selling club] but times changed, finances changed and the position where Everton have moved to, our stature has grown. We have players good enough for the top teams. Maybe in the past there weren’t players at Everton good enough for top teams, but we have that now.” And Chelsea are set to prove the theory true.